In The Shadow Of Suicides, Senate Panel Makes Rare Move To Consider Gun Control

Days after three separate suicides in Parkland, Fla., and Newtown, Conn. left those communities reeling, the Senate is doing something rare for a GOP-led chamber: holding a hearing on gun control. In the previously scheduled hearing, the full Senate Judiciary Committee will bring experts to Capitol Hill Tuesday on extreme risk protection orders, commonly referred to as red flag laws.

These laws allow law enforcement, and in some states, relatives and other concerned parties, to petition judges in order to temporarily restrict access to firearms from people who may present a harm to themselves or others.

Supporters of the laws say they can save lives by removing guns from individuals who should not have them. Some states have used the laws to successfully protect individuals from suicide, at least one study shows.